Tank ball controlling guide



L. 'GRIBBLE Aug. s, 1958 J 2,845,633

' TANK BALL CONTROLLING GUIDE Filed July 2, 1956 Fig. Fig;

James L. Gr/bb/e IN VENTOR,

United States Patent TANK BALL CONTROLLING GUIDE James L. Gribble, McMinnville, Tenn. Application July 2, 1956, Serial No. 595,209

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-57) The present invention relates to a controlling and seating guide which is expressly designed for installation in a flush tank and which greatly assists in rendering the action of the tank valve or ball more positive and reduces leakage to a minimum.

An object of the invention, more specifically speaking, is to provide an open-work or equivalent cage for the tank ball and to structurally and to otherwise improve upon analogous and similarly performing prior art cage-type guides and, in doing so, to provide a construction which aptly serves the purposes for which it is intended, saves high water bills and pays for itself in a matter of weeks.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simplified construction which is susceptible of being installed with a minimum of eifort and time and wherein the installation job can be carried out by the man of the house without requiring special tools.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical and ready-to-use cage type guide which will appeal to manufacturers in that it may be mass produced and handled through retail channels with economy to manufacturer and retailer as well as to the prospective purchaser and user.

Although others in this line of endeavor have appropriated open-work wire-type cages they are primarily such in construction that they do not aptly fit into satisfactory and level position in varying types of flush tanks. It follows that an outstanding objective of the instant invention is therefore to provide an improved cage-type guide which lends itself to easy and expedient installation in virtually all flush tanks, that is, the modern one-piece molded or cast tanks and those in which the valve seat and overflow pipe are usually made as separate parts.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Fig. l is a fragmentary view in section of a conventional-type flush tank showing the improved guide and how it is constructed and installed for use;

Fig. 2 is a view on the horizontal line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view through one of the currently used or 'so-called modern one-piece flush tanks which serves to show that the invention may be used therewith in a highly advantageous and satisfactory manner;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional view on line 4--4 of Fig. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an anchor clip such as is used in the arrangement seen in Fig. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, the ordinarily used or so-called conventional flush tank is denoted in Figs. 1 and 2 by the numeral 6 whereas in Figs. 3 and 4 the more modern one-piece flush tank is denoted by the numeral 8. Reverting to Fig. 1 here the usual vertical overflow pipe is denoted by the numeral 10 and the same is connected at its lower end to the usual fitting 12 embodying 2,845,633 Patented Aug. 5, 1958 a metal valve seat 14. The usual handle-operated trip lever (Figs. 1 and 3) is denotedhy the numeral 16 and the crank type handle which is exteriorly located, is denoted, by the numeral 18. In the instant showing a flexible chain 20 provides an operating connection between the tank ball or valve 22 and the lever 16. The diiference in the tanks is primarily that in the modern type seen at 8 in Fig. 3 the overflow pipe 24 is integral with the wall 26 and the horizontal base portion 28 which includes the valve seat 30 is integral with the bottom wall 32 and also the lower end portion of the overflow pipe 24. Since the guide. cage is the same in both illustrations it is conveniently referred to in all views by the numeral 34. As before mentioned it isYconstructed from pieces of wire or so-called wire rods. The vertical rods are embraced by endless horizontal ring-like rods and thus the cage is made up in open-work form. Of the vertical group of wires, the shorter ones are denoted by the numerals 36 and have their lower ends 38 terminating above the tank bottom and also above the plane of the valve seat (14 and 30). In this assembly of vertical wires there are two pairs of longer wires which are distinguished by way of the numeral 40 and these wires have their lower ends connected with a horizontal segmental or arcuate wire 42 which provides a base and which rests directly on the bottom of the tank. By arranging these wires 40 in diametrically opposite pairs and using diametrically opposite segmental base wires 42, the latter straddle opposite sides of the valve seat and components and provide a firm foundation for the over-all cage. The uppermost horizontal wire is a relatively small ring 44 and the upper ends 46 of the vertical wires 40 are suitably coiled and attached to said ring in the manner shown. The other larger horizontal rings or wires are denoted at 48 and these obviously embrace the vertical wires to provide a desired open-work cage construction. As before mentioned this cage features the short wires 36 with their lower ends 38 terminating at the desired plane and above the extended portions 40 of the longer vertical wires whereby to thus provide a cage having a base construction which is adapted to be used in connection with virtually all standard or equivalent flush tanks.

In practice one needs but to slide the wire guide cage down around the flush valve firmly to the bottom of the tank and to center it over the valve seat so that the segmental members rest on the bottom and the shorter wires provide the desired clearance in respect to the stock or existing parts with which they cooperate. In Fig. 1 a band of metal as at 50 has its bight portion 52 bent around and adjacent one of the wire members and its end portions bolted together as at 54 with the strap embracing the overflow pipe. This arrangement provides a satisfactory mounting for the cage in the manner shown. If desired, a stay strap or wire 56 is shown in dotted lines and may be employed and this will be connected at 58 to the upper part of the cage and will have its own upper end bolted, as at 60, to the overflow pipe.

In the arrangement seen in the modern tank (Fig. 3), the metal clip 62 (Fig. 5) has a bolt hole 64 connected with the bolt and nut 66 on the existing lug 68 in the tank. The end of the clip is bifurcated at 69 and the furcations are bent to form books 70 engaging the cooperating wire of the wire cage 34.

The invention herein revealed has been actually produced and in use and is meeting with widespread endorsement. They very fact that the lower portion of the cage is such that it adapts itself to use on approximately of all flush tanks on the market is a significant feature.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those 3 skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A tank ball guide comprising an openwork wire cage of vertically elongated form embodying a plurality of circumferentially spaced parallel vertically disposed wire members embraced by vertically spaced, horizontally disposed endless wire rings, diametrically opposite pairs of certain of said vertical wire members extending below the lower ends of the intervening vertical wire members, the lower ends of the last-named wire members being coplanar and the extended lower end portions of the pairs of diametrically opposite wire members being provided with segmental connecting wire members constituting rests which are adapted to rest firmly on the flush tank 4 bottom the uppermost wire ring being of a diameter smaller than the other wire rings, the upper end portions of the vertical wire members being bent toward said smaller ring and having their ends joined to said smaller ring.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and in combination, an attaching and retaining clip for said cage, said clip having a bolt hole at one end adapted to accommodate a bolt and nut for attachment to an existing lug in a flush tank, the other end of the clip being bifurcated and the fureations being bent to form hooks which are detachably connectible with a predetermined one of the aforementioned wire rings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,668,960 Barrett-Lennard Feb. 16, 1954 2,678,451 Allen May 18, 1954 

